Constricted in our Stars
by radiantrue
Summary: Rose and the Doctor are trapped in a specific room of the TARDIS. The only door out is locked. The Doctor and Rose are forced to reevaluate their situation.
1. Chapter 1

Thanks for clicking on my story!

I am planning on updating once a week. Let me know if you have any questions or catch any errors!

I would also like to thank my friend, Stevie, for beta-ing this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or its characters.

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**Chapter One**

A small blue button started flashing. It caught my eye immediately, and I glanced over. Suddenly the console started releasing a small wailing noise. The blinking began to speed up and the wailing gradually increased in volume. The screeching hurt.

Obviously, something was wrong with the TARDIS. I began to panic a bit. I kicked my feet off the jump seat which I had been using to lounge. A quick glance around confirmed that the Doctor was not in the console room. I vaguely recalled him muttering, "Be right back," only a few minutes ago.

"Doctor?" I called out. No response. "Doctor?" I shouted a little louder.

The TARDIS's howling was becoming a little too uncomfortable for my ears. My stomach sank at the thought of something going wrong while we were in the middle of space-nowhere. I took a deep breath and started running to the nearest hallway.

Down the hallway, every door was locked. _That's odd, _I thought, _I've never seen the TARDIS lock these doors._ I persisted at checking every door handle, and I began to knock on each door in case the Doctor was in one of them.

"Doctor?" I occasionally called out. I felt extremely alone. Every door refused to open. "TARDIS!" I sighed, exasperated and lost. I continued to jiggle the handles.

The hallways were completely silent. However, I could still hear the buzzing noise from the console as I travelled further away. The corridor I was on was coming to a dead end. I reached out to the last door on the right. The rusted golden doorknob turned. I gasped, and my stomached turned, finally finding a bit of hope.

I swung the door open and dashed in the room in order to hasten my search for the Doctor. Well, I found him. He was lounging back in a sofa with his long legs stretched up on a coffee table. He was wearing his regular brown pinstriped suit and swirly blue and brown tie. The Doctor's brown coat was laying over the couch's armrest. His head was leaned back as he stared at the ceiling. However at the sound of my entrance, his head flashed towards my direction.

"Rose! Don't—" He looked surprised to see me and lifted his hand, pointing at me. I jogged a little into the room. I was about to alert the Doctor that the TARDIS needed him. The door slammed shut behind me fairly quickly. I turned and eyed the swiftness of the door.

The Doctor groaned. He rested his face in his hands and sighed. I placed my hands deep into the pockets of my pink sweater. My concern was growing with each moment. _What is going on?_

"That door…" the Doctor began and paused with his face still in his hands. "Is that door behind you locked?"

He looked a bit distraught, but so was I. After crumpling my eyebrows at the Doctor, I turned around the wiggled the doorknob. Locked. _Why are all the doors locked?_

"Locked." I confirmed the Doctor's hypothesis. He raised his head out of his hands. His jaw slacked slightly.

"We're trapped in here, Rose," He explained to me. The Doctor folded his hands together and stared down at them. _Trapped?_ The feeling in my stomach intensified and rippled through my body.

The Doctor expanded after seeing my blank look. "I came in here about ten minutes ago, and the TARDIS shut the only door that leads back into the hallways. I tried shouting for you, but I don't think you heard me." That reminded me of the noises and blinking light from the console room.

"Doctor," he glanced up at me from his feet, "The TARDIS, it was buzzing and flashing lights. Something's wrong."

The Doctor jumped up from the plush green sofa he was sitting on. He took a couple steps towards me. He opened his mouth about to say something but was interrupted by some clicking noises.

On the wall to the left of the door I had just walked through, there was a bronze typewriter on a small white table. A small silver door was on the wall just to the right of the stand. The door was shut, and, I guessed, locked. The typewriter was clicking away as words appeared on the crisp parchment. The Doctor and I both walked over to it.

The paper looked antique and ivory. There was an imprinted header on the paper in the upper left-hand corner. "T.A.R.D.I.S." the header read. The ink was a navy blue. As each letter was selected, the key pressed down as if invisible hands were there. The clicking stopped after a quick message was printed.

_We are safe,_ it read.

"We are safe?" The Doctor repeated and just stared at the message.

I pointed at the message. "She must be referring to the noises and blinking lights."

"Will you ever unlock the door?" The Doctor asked his TARDIS. A couple seconds passed by, and the Doctor took a step back. A second before I gave up hope, she began to type a response.

_You will be free in due course._

"Why would she…" The Doctor murmured on. He turned around and glanced around the room. I did the same.

I had not been in this room of the TARDIS before, which surprised me, because I thought I had seen every room there was currently. This room looked very similar to a living room. There were couches centered around a brown coffee table. A television was mounted on the wall above an unlit, grand fireplace. To the right of the room, there was a small white dinner table with two wooden chairs on each side. There were small homey decorations around the room like lamps and candles. On the far opposite side of the room, there was a small archway that led to a hallway. This room was definitely not a room I had previously stepped foot in before. I hadn't seen anything so domestic inside the TARDIS.

I glazed up at the Doctor's worried expression. I asked, "Where are we?"

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A/N: I'm not going to ask for reviews on each chapter, but I thought I would share a little mentality I have when I read fanfiction. If an author spent hours or days or months writing for me, it wouldn't be that difficult for me to give 30 seconds of my time to review it.

If anyone uses Tumblr and is interested, my url is on my profile page.

Thanks so much for reading! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello, beautiful lovely readers. Thanks for continuing with my story. :)

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**Chapter Two**

"Well," the Doctor said looking down at me. "It looks an awful like a small apartment, but I've never seen these rooms in the TARDIS before."

"Me neither," I added. I glanced at the tall crème-colored candle set in the middle of the coffee table. My feet were standing on a red and gold area rug. I could feel the Doctor becoming nauseous from this homey place.

"Well, of course, the TARDIS can always add more rooms if need be. But why would she lock us up in an apartment?"

I just shrugged. I started to walk around the backside of the couch in the direction of the hallway.

"You have your sonic screwdriver, don't you?" I asked the Doctor turning back around to face him. His hand was on the back of the sofa. His other hand was caught in his thick brown hair, which was already sticking out all over.

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "I left it in the console room." He was avoiding eye contact with me. He looked like an ashamed superhero who could not save the day. I walked over to him, and his downturned head tilted up to look at me.

"It will be alright," I tried to comfort the Doctor, which I realized was nearly impossible at this moment. I placed my left hand on his upper right arm. He said nothing but his eyes were staring straight at me, unmoving. I pulled him into a hug. After an extra second of solidity, the Doctor wrapped his arms around my middle and pulled me close. Despite the situation we were in, his warmth and soft skin warmed me from the outside in.

While still in the embrace, I said softly, "We might be trapped, but at least we haven't faced any danger. The TARDIS just told us we are safe, right?" I pulled away a bit and looked at his face searching for some sort of emotion. When he saw my eyes tracing over his features, his face broke out into a wide smile.

"Yes, you're right," He told me. His fingertips drew long lines across my back as our arms returned to our sides. I felt a chill run through my body, and a small blush appeared on my cheeks. I turned my eyes away in case he could sense my feelings. I turned towards the hallway behind us and walked towards it.

"What else is in here?" I asked him. I could hear his footsteps following behind me only a few steps behind. The first door I found was on the left of the hallway. I peeked my head in and found a relatively large bathroom. There were two sinks, a large counter, and toilet. There was also a large bathtub and separate shower with glass walls. The floor had off-white tiles, but there was a plush light blue rug under the counter.

"That's nice," he pointed out from behind me, "At least she gave us a bathroom."

"Yeah, considerate," I agreed, "So we aren't necessarily ball-and-chained in a prison cell." I turned around and moved past the Doctor to go explore more. As I passed him, the right half of my body _accidentally _grazed his right arm.

The next door I opened led us into a large room. There were a loveseat and two chairs near a fireplace that was similar to the one of the living room. The main long wall was covered in one large bookcase that was made of painted white wood. All the books looked ancient. Upon closer inspection, the spines of the books all had titles in different languages. I couldn't even recognize the symbols, let alone the language.

"It's my library," the Doctor explained, "Well, not all of it. She gave me about a fourth of my book collection in here."

I nodded as my eyes skimmed the room. This library was definitely smaller than the Doctor's enormous main library, but it was a nicely decorated room. The golden walls and furniture made me feel warm and comfortable. It seemed bizarre to see something so homey inside the mechanical TARDIS. I wish I had known about this room before; I would have come here often. However, I'm sure that this room had not existed until now.

The next room was also the last room. My hand fiddled with the cold metal handle. I slid the door open and took a step in.

"Uh." The Doctor made a noise behind me. I ignored this noise as soon as my eyes settled on the small bedroom right in front of us. There was a bed right in front of me, but what caught my attention immediately was the ceiling.

Or lack thereof.

I took a few more steps forward and tilted my head upwards, gazing. The ceiling was a dome of glass, and we could see the space surrounding us in the TARDIS. Millions of silver-colored stars twinkled as I stood there, feeling immensely small. There were a few dim lights on in the bedroom, but I felt like I was outside on Earth at night gazing up at the stars. I am fairly certain that my life lacked the amount of time required to count each star I could see from where I stood. I felt the Doctor slide his hand along my waist.

"It's gorgeous," I whispered leaning slightly into his upper body, staring upwards.

My mind eventually drifted back down to the TARDIS as I lowered by head back down. It only took a small amount of time to examine the rest of the room. Small and plain, there was just the bed and two wardrobes to each side of the door.

"There's only one bed," the Doctor repeated my very thoughts, "If we have to sleep here for the night, I'll just stay on one of those couches out there." He pointed out the door, talking very fast. He glanced back to me.

"No," I said right away without thinking about it, "I mean, I'm sure we could both fit on this bed." Oh, no, this was becoming awkward. Back in the main part of the TARDIS, we had always kept to our own rooms. Unfortunately.

"Um," the Doctor began. I could hear him breathing. He said, "Alright, as long as you are comfortable with that."

"Mhm," I responded quietly. I walked over to the wardrobe on the left and found several suits hung up. I giggled softly to myself and went to open the other wardrobe. Most of the clothes I had kept in the TARDIS were in this wardrobe.

"How long are we trapped here?" I ask the Doctor, knowing he wouldn't be able to answer me. I was still hoping he might be able to reassure me. Generally, when the Doctor and I were trapped or in some sort of danger, his words brought me through it.

"I don't know, Rose. We are given enough to live for a while, I suppose. We just don't have food or a kitchen." On that note, my stomach began to gurgle. I groaned. I closed the door to my wardrobe, turned around, and looked up at the Doctor. He looked so helpless. I wasn't expecting him to have some sort of brilliant plan to make everything better. However, I knew he would have a better chance of knowing what to do than I did.

He ran his left hand through his hair. My eyes were stuck on his soft glossy hair. Oh, how it would feel to experience the feel of each gorgeous strand. I sighed softly, and became aware of how much I was staring. My gaze traveled down to his round brown eyes, which were staring intensely back at mine. I felt myself blush slightly as my insides heated up.

"Mmm," he thought out loud. He turned towards the door of the bedroom and walked down the hallway. I took one more quick glace around the room and followed.

As soon as we walked back into the living room, I could hear more typing on the typewriter across the room. The Doctor and I cut a quick glance to each other and walked briskly over to the podium.

_Have a nice dinner, Doctor and Rose,_ It typed out and then froze.

"Dinner?" the Doctor questioned. The metal door to our right popped open to answer his question. Inside the door, there was a shelf that held a large tray full of food.

"Dinner!" I exclaimed back. I slide the tray out and picked it up. The Doctor followed behind me as I brought our meal over to the table across the living room.

"That works, I guess," the Doctor shrugged as he sat down across from me. I opened the large pot and was instantly engulfed with a pleasant aroma. Beef stew. I served dinner to the Doctor and then myself. We each had a large bowl of stew, a freshly-baked dinner roll, and good serving of steamed vegetables.

"I'm so thirsty," I complained a few bites in, "I wish we had some water."

Within ten seconds of my wishing, the silver door opened and two tall glasses of water sat there on a tray. I turned to the Doctor who was smiling wide. He jumped up and retrieved the water.

"See!" He exclaimed, "The TARDIS is a smart girl!" I giggled in response. The Doctor raised his eyebrows up at me and passed me a glass of water. I accepted it gratefully.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

I lay down on the blue sofa inside the library as my stomach digested one of the best meals I had had since Mum's last home-cooked dinner. My head was propped up on the arm rest, my knees bent, and my feet rested flat on the cushion.

The Doctor was sitting just past my feet with his whole consciousness absorbed into a book held in his hands. I watched his palms cradle the tan bounded cover labeled in yellow swirly writing that was certainly not Earth-originated. His fingers were long and narrow.

Okay, I'll admit it; he has sexy hands. His index finger of his left hand was tapping softly against the book. _Tap. Tap. Tap. _My heart thudded.

Slowly, he brought his right hand to his face. The Doctor outstretched his pointer and middle fingers towards his mouth. And, oh sweet lord, his tongue darted out from his mouth as he dampened his fingertips. Using those fingers, he turned to the next page of the book. His eyes danced from the bottom of one page to the top of the next. I had to use every ounce of my self-control not to moan out loud.

I was never very certain how helpful it was to lick your fingers before turning the page of a book. Countless times, I saw my mum do it to her magazines. But did it really help? I thought maybe the Doctor was just doing this just to give me a racing heartbeat.

My big toes were lightly touching his outer thigh. I drew away my attention from his hands and tongue and thought about nothing else but the small area of my body touching his. There was just the thin layer of his pin-striped trousers between his warm skin and my cold toes. I wiggled them faintly and felt the firmness of his muscles.

The Doctor glanced over at me and smiled. Reflexively, the corners of my mouth curled up a bit.

"Rose," he began and sighed. I sighed along with him in my head.

"Rose, I'm so sorry there's nothing to do. I really don't know how long we will have to live here, but there really isn't much entertainment."

"It's okay, Doctor, I don't blame you at all," I told him. "It's not your fault, you know."

The Doctor scratched his head. "Well obviously I did something the TARDIS didn't like or something."

_Or something._

"Please, don't blame yourself," I pleaded. I looked at him softly, and poked his bony knee with my toe. The Doctor placed his left hand over the top of my foot. His hand felt so warm compared to my foot. His fingertips ran across my skin, and I wiggled my toes in return. He released a soft laugh.

"I think I'm going to go shower and get ready for bed," the Doctor said, setting down his book on the arm rest of the couch.

"Alright," I responded. I held a strand of my blonde hair between my fingers running through a knot. "I'll probably do the same afterwards."

He nodded and got up from the couch. My eyes followed his figure as he left the room without another word.

I pushed myself off the couch once I heard the door of the bathroom close. I padded over to the bedroom and returned to the, always promising, lying down position once again. My head was tilted back, looking at the stars. My future had been blurred ever since I had been with the Doctor. I never knew how long I would be away from Mum or if I would ever be stuck on another planet far away. There was no way of knowing if I would be killed in battle, or if I would be deserted by the Doctor at home.

But now I was stuck in one of the safest places in the universe: inside the TARDIS. I was also stuck with one of the most brilliant minds of the universe. But why did I feel so uneasy about this whole day?

I drew in a long breath. I still felt like I was on the TARDIS. There was the same smell. Nevertheless, my hope was still quivering. I knew I should be thinking about happier things.

Of course the first thing that came to mind was the Doctor.

_He's in the shower right now, _I thought to myself. In just an hour or so, he would be lying in this bed next to me. I looked over at the blank space beside me, but then returned to stare at the dots glittering in the sky above me.

The Doctor was an extraordinary man. If I ever had to return to my pre-Doctor life at home with Mum, I knew I wouldn't be content. Pain welled up inside my chest immediately when I thought about not having the Doctor in my life. Knowing I could never step into the stars again or see this man who completely changed my life – it would be heartbreaking. I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let that happen.

My head snapped over to the door when I saw the Doctor's figure in the doorway. He stood there staring at me with just a light blue towel wrapped low around his hips, his mouth open slightly. His bare chest was pink and damp, and his hair was standing up glistening with water droplets.

"Rose!" He exclaimed. "I thought you were in the library!" A blush crept up onto his cheeks as my face copied. I glanced downwards at my hands quickly and giggled. He walked over to his wardrobe and searched for some lost pajamas. My eyes rested on his back. I didn't even care that I was staring anymore; he had an incredible back. I watched each muscle move as his right arm clawed through some clothes. His left hand was firmly set on keeping his towel up on his hips.

"Are you done in the bathroom?" I asked him once my mind became a little less fuzzy.

"What?" He turned around to me. I stared more. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm done in there."

I pulled myself off the bed. I made sure to grab a set of pajamas, so I wouldn't make the same mistake the Doctor had just made.

The bathroom was still fogged with steam from the Doctor's shower. The mirrors were clouded and I could smell his soap in the air. I tossed my clothes to the ground and stepped into the stream of hot water.

I couldn't get the image of the Doctor out of my head, standing in the doorway with only a towel covering him. He was dead sexy. I wished with all my might that I could just run into his arms and press my face into his damp skin. I would kiss him on his jaw and trace my fingers over his back muscles.

I was certain the Doctor cared about me. He probably loved me, but I was never quite sure if that love stretched beyond love for a companion.

Beads of hot water pounded down on my skin. My thoughts scorched my insides while the shower warmed my outside. After a few minutes of floating in the middle of my thoughts, I became too hot. I quickly scrubbed down my body and finished up my shower. It felt great to reach out into the cool, less-humid air outside the shower stall and wrap myself in a towel.

I dressed myself in knitted shorts and a tank top. I picked up a pink toothbrush that sat in a cup on the counter next to a blue toothbrush. After cleaning my teeth, I hung up my towel and exited the room.

When I walked into the bedroom, the Doctor was already in bed lying under the covers. He wasn't sleeping, but he was reading the same book he was reading earlier. He looked up at me when I walked in. My mind debated whether or not I should close the door behind me. Openness or privacy? I decided to at the last moment, and it clicked shut.

The Doctor grinned at me. Smiling a tad, I tucked a strand of wet hair behind my ear. I walked to the other side of the bed and crawled in. He finished the page he was reading, set it down on the bedside table, and turned off the light. It was fairly dark especially since my eyes were not adjusted to the light. I felt the Doctor turn onto his side facing me. At this moment, I knew I couldn't look at the Doctor without blushing and smiling like an idiot. I stretched out on my back looking up, once again, at the dotted ceiling.

Eventually, I glanced over at him to see if his eyes were closed, but he was just looking back at me.

"Space," I whispered.

There was silence. I thought the Doctor wasn't going to say anything, but then he responded, "And time."

"Yeah, time." I sighed aloud.

The Doctor placed his hand on my forearm right above my wrist. His thumb drew lazy circles around my skin. I gathered up all my courage and hope and looked him in the eyes. The expression upon his face was full of intensity.

My stomach clenched inwards, and I felt a fire ignite inside me. It trickled upwards until my throat was swollen and clenched at the same time. Half of me wanted to burst into tears and cry into his chest, hoping that he would wrap his arms around me. The other half wanted to giggle and squirm and passionately kiss him endlessly.

Or maybe everything all at once.

His thumb was now rubbing up and down the length of my arm. I stared at his shoulder because his expression was too powerful to look at.

_Time._ His voice resonated in my head. I want more time. More time here, in this bed, with him, under these stars. I knew this was too much to ask for. Our life couldn't always stop for this.

"I'm okay, you know," I told him. My eyes were looking up at him and focusing on keeping the tears from spilling over. I bit on the inside of my lip. I continued, "Being here, with you. It's not so bad."

"Really?" He responded. His thumb stopped moving for a moment only to continue circles again.

I nodded.

"I'm okay too," the Doctor agreed. He brushed a clump of hair away from my face while his fingers softly touched my forehead for a moment. He whispered, "Good night, Rose Tyler."

"Goodnight, my Doctor." I took one more glance up at the stars and turned over. I felt him move too.

It took me a while to reach a sleepy state because my mind was still running. Always running. I knew the Doctor was still awake, but I had been lying still for past few moments inching closer to my dreams. In my last bit of consciousness, I felt the Doctor lightly slide his arm around my back.

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Thank you so much for your support. It really helps! -x


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I'm sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, but it had to be broken up here. I hope to update soon with a longer chapter.

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**Chapter Four**

I awoke once mid-night. The Doctor's arm detached from my back, and he began to thrash about. My eyes darted open once I sensed his movement, and I sat up immediately. His eyes were still closed.

_Nightmares?_ I thought. "Doctor," I said out loud. There was no change. I grabbed his hands and clasped my hands around his fists. After a few seconds of force, his movements stopped, but he was still breathing heavily. I kept my hands on his, but brought them down to his side. After laying back down, I watched his face. I couldn't help but worry about this man.

He looked stressed but restful, young but old, sad but happy. This one man held so many contradictions. I brushed the hair away and kissed him on the forehead. I kept my hands over his and drifted back into sleep.

I didn't peek back out of my haziness of sleep until morning came. I felt the bed beside me dip down, and I creaked open my eyes. My vision was first blinded by my blonde hair over my face, but I raised my hand to brush all my hair out of my eyes.

The Doctor was sitting a tray of breakfast down on the bed.

"Good morning," the Doctor said when I looked up into his beautiful brown eyes. I was confident that I could get used to waking up to his face every morning.

"Morning," I responded and smiled. "Breakfast?"

"Yes, we've got a large variety, Rose Tyler." He motioned at the tray. I sat up and propped myself on the pillows I stacked behind me. The Doctor mimicked my position and sat the tray between us. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and stripped pajama bottoms. I picked up a perfectly-red strawberry from a bowl. Mid-bite, I glanced up to the Doctor to see why he hadn't begun eating. He was staring intently, not at my eyes, but slightly lower. He turned away immediately and stretched his arm out for a piece of toast. I chewed on my strawberry. As the sweetness burst in my mouth, I thought about what had just happened.

"So," I said, "What do we have planned for today?"

"Well," the Doctor said. He finished chewing his toast and then continued. "We are stuck inside an apartment with just a large library of books you can't read." I cringed at the acknowledgement of my lowly humanness. He paused for a moment and said, "Honestly, Rose, I have no idea."

"Mmm," I thought while picking up another strawberry and catching his attention once again.

"Maybe the TARDIS will give us something to do."

"Maybe," he nodded and sipped on some tea.

After breakfast, I went into the bathroom. I washed my face, and then examined myself in the mirror. I looked, for the first time in a while, well-rested. I had probably gotten about ten hours of sleep, I realized. I slid open a drawer below the counter and found a hair comb. It took a few minutes to get all the knots out of my hair, but I eventually got it to all lay flat.

My life in the TARDIS was always on-the-go. It felt rejuvenating to have the time to catch up on sleep, eat wholesome meals, and have some time to just lie about. I knew being in this apartment was going to be a bit boring, but it actually felt nice to be bored. I had no clue if the Doctor agreed though.

When I returned to the bedroom, the Doctor wasn't there. The library was empty as well. I finally found him back in the living room standing in front of the typewriter. He was already changed into his suit. His hair was combed, but forever sticking up towards the front. He didn't turn around when I walked in. I approached him from behind and appeared at his side. He glanced down at me and smiled.

"Nothing new," he said pointing to the paper. The last message still read, _Have a nice dinner, Doctor and Rose._ I walked over to the front door and tried to turn it. It was still locked. I groaned.

"I just wish," the Doctor said behind me. I turned around and looked at him. He continued, "I wish I knew what I needed to do to have the TARDIS release us."

_Click. Click. Click. Click._

The Doctor and I abruptly turned towards the typewriter.

_Something needs to happen._ It read.

"Something needs to happen," I repeated, "What good is that cryptic message? That tells us nothing. We could have worked that out ourselves! Of course something needs to happen or else we wouldn't be here!"

The Doctor was pacing around the living room. "Something needs to happen. Something needs to _happen_. Something _needs_ to happen_._ _Something _needs to happen." His hands were running through his hair. "OH. OH. Oh." He became a bit antsy. I didn't understand how even a bright mind like his could get any information out of such an obscure note.

"What?" I asked. He looked at me and remembered I was still in the room. I probably looked a little lost.

"No, that can't be." He shook his head, "Nothing. I…" He looked down at the ground. "I have no idea what that means."

He sat down on the couch and folded his hands in his lap. I decided not to question his thoughts from earlier. Either he was in deep thought or as completely lost as I was. I looked over at the typewriter.

"What something needs to happen?" I asked it.

I waited for a good ten seconds. The TARDIS did not respond. I took an exasperated seat next to the Doctor on the couch. He reached out to my hand and brushed his thumb across the back of my hand. I squeezed his in response.

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Thanks! x


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I thought about my mum and how far away she was. I never really missed her when we were on the run, but at times like this, I wished I could be with her. My mum would make me tea. She wasn't smart like the Doctor, but she always knew the right thing to say. Mums were just like that.

"I miss Mum," I admitted to the Doctor. "I left my mobile in my other room in the TARDIS." _Other room._ It sounded weird. I have one room at home with Mum, one room on the TARDIS, and, now, one room with the Doctor.

He tightened his grip on my hand a little; our palms pressed together.

The Doctor smirked, "I'm lucky she's not the one I'm trapped here with. Could you imagine that?"

I laughed, "I'd kind of like to see that. She would drive you nuts!"

"Good ol' Jackie Tyler," he said joyously. He propped his feet up on the coffee table. I giggled.

Today was one of the most uneventful days I have spent with the Doctor. I watched some television and the Doctor read. I decided to take another shower before dinner. I dressed in jeans and a purple t-shirt. I was starving by the time I entered the living room.

The Doctor, stretched out on the sofa with his hands behind his head, looked up when I walked in. He gave me a wide smile. I couldn't help but smile back. He jumped up from the sofa and walked over to me.

"Rose Tyler," he said while holding his hand out to me, "Our dinner awaits us." I took his hand. One glance over to the empty table made me question this situation immediately.

"But the TARDIS hasn't given us our food yet," I pointed towards the silver door that fed us. It remained shut.

"Ah ha! Follow me," the Doctor said and lightly tugged on my hand. I followed him down the hallway. He opened the door to the library, but held it open, gesturing for me to go in first.

I walked past him through the doorway and was immediately stunned. The couch and chairs in the library were gone. The magnificent fireplace was lit with a roaring fire. In the center of the room, there was a table similar to the one in the living room. However, this table was covered with an ivory table cloth. There were candles flickering in the center. A table set for two. The Doctor grabbed my hand again and led me towards the table.

"Wow," I said, "Did you do all of this?"

He grinned. "Well, the TARDIS helped." He pulled out my chair, and I took my seat. It wasn't until now that I saw what we were having for dinner.

"Fish and chips!" I exclaimed.

He nodded excitedly. I giggled at the thought of such a casual meal served in such a formal way.

"Wow," It seemed like that was all I could ever say. "This looks amazing. Thank you, Doctor."

Out of all the fish and chips that the Doctor and I have had in the past year, I'm pretty sure these have been the best. I mentally thanked the TARDIS. Throughout the meal, I kept thinking about how wonderful my life with the Doctor had been. This thought spiraled into the same persistent problem that inhabited the back of my mind.

"Sometimes," I confessed out loud, looking down at my almost-empty plate, "I think about the future, but I'm scared."

The Doctor looked at me and leaned back in his chair. "Welcome to my life," he said.

"I wish I could just live the entirety of my life from this position. Young, in the TARDIS, with my Doctor, around the stars." My body quivered a little as I felt my insides fold in upon themselves. My eyes were still glued to the plate.

"I know, Rose, but that's what makes things so unfortunate." The sound of those words in the softness with which they were spoken broke my heart. All the emotions from the past year bubbled up inside of me. My eyes immediately drowned in tears as they neared the brim. I knew this time I couldn't keep them from overflowing.

Avoiding the Doctor's eyes, I scooted my chair back, and in one swift move, I ran for the door.

"Rose!" I heard him cry with a drained-out tone.

I made a run for the bedroom, because it seemed like the most comforting of the rooms. I knew we were trapped in here, and I knew the Doctor was probably a couple seconds behind me, but I ran anyways. I flung myself mid-bed and buried my face into the top blanket.

Sobs pulsated through my body. Hot tears damped my face and the blanket. My arms were clutching my stomach.

I felt a hand on my lower back, but I didn't bother to turn around to look at him. A dip down in the bed told me the Doctor sat down beside me. The hand traveled up and down my back. After a few seconds, another hand joined in and continued to run circles around my skin.

My sobs were still shaking, and my body remained rigid. The Doctor's touch turned into a massage. About a minute later, my weeping mellowed down and only wet tears lingered. I felt like a little toddler again being soothed by my Mum.

The Doctor allowed me to feel every bit of positive emotion. Even when he made me upset, he was always there to make me feel better. As unusual as the Doctor was, everything about him in my life feels right. Above all, I_ wanted_ him. I wanted him to kiss me with all the passion I knew we were both holding back. I wanted him to give me back massages even when I'm not crying. I wanted him to love me despite this hellish condition we were in.

Eventually, I calmed down. I lay there as the Doctor's sexy hands drew happiness over my back. I noted that there was only a thin t-shirt separating his hands from my skin. There was always that one layer between us.

One hand settled on my waist while the other brushed my hair to the right side of my neck. Before I could take another breath, his soft lips were on the back of my neck. Immediately, chills ran from that spot and down my body. His lips stayed there slightly longer than the average kiss-on-the-cheek would. I felt his breath on my skin just after he pulled away. A tingle settled deep in my throat.

I turned my head, so my face appeared from the wet and dark cave. He looked a little bit embarrassed, but entirely worried about me. To top it all off, I'm sure I looked like crap.

I pulled my arm out from under me. I placed my hand on his knee because it was the only part of him I could reach. I felt my grip tighten, and I dragged my thumb over his knee. I wanted to hold on for dear life. He looked down at my hand on his knee and placed a hand over mine.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower," He said looking down at me sympathetically, "I promise I will be right back."

I nodded because I didn't trust my voice. I released his knee. The Doctor gave me one more apologetic look and left the room with pajamas in hand.

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**A/N:** I am quite fond of this chapter. I hope you liked it too. x


	6. Chapter 6

****Hello. Just so you know, this is the final chapter.

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**C****hapter Six**

I waited until I heard the rushing water in the bathroom. I got up and changed into pajamas. Because I had no mirror or hair brush, I had to finger-comb my hair. I scrubbed my fingers over my eyes, even though I know it was useless.

I crawled into bed. My face felt puffy, and my body felt weak. I knew it was probably only around eight in the evening, but I had no desire to do anything but lay in bed. The stars above me were too potent for me right now. I listened to the faint noise of the running shower and the metronome of my singular pulsing heart.

I had no idea how much time had passed by the time the Doctor returned to the room. Mustering up all of my energy, I raised my head above my cloud of hair, and looked toward him. He stood near the door wearing his pajama bottoms but remained shirtless, again.

"Uh," He avoided my eyes, "I can't find my sleep shirt. It's not around here anywhere." His face turned a bit pink.

"It's okay," I said quietly, giving the Doctor the permission he was searching for. I mentally thanked the TARDIS for losing his shirt. He crawled into the bed, and I felt him lay right next to my body, his covered leg against my bare leg. One layer divided us still.

I laid onto my back, and noticed the Doctor had stretched his arm out behind my shoulders. His bare upper arm now became my pillow. The warmth of his flesh seeped through my hair and onto my neck. His hand cupped my shoulder but did not move. He was looking up at the never-ending space before us. I followed his gaze and join him up there.

"Thanks for dinner," I said without moving my eyes. "And everything," I added on, refusing to clarify _everything._

"You don't have to thank me, Rose," He said. I felt his eyes turn on me. His eyes were scanning my face as I scrutinized each star above us. He continued, "You know I'm going to take care of you, Rose."

My eyes narrowed in on the Doctor as I turned on my side. I placed my arm over the Doctor's bare middle and pressed my face into his chest. My hot, puffy, face pressed into his cool damp skin.

Immediately, I felt his dual heartbeats, always a reminder. There were no more barriers to keep me from him.

You would think my body was a desert after I had already cried out every ounce of water in me. Lo and behold, that desert had an oasis. Searing tears poured out of me and onto him. The Doctor reacted instantly, and he wrapped his bare arms around my body pulling me closer to his body. My right leg nestled between his. I held on. _Please, Doctor, love me._

"I love you so much," I blurted out mid-weep into his chest. His arms loosened their grip slightly, and his hands cupped my sides.

"What?" He asked either out of shock or he couldn't understand my tear-filled voice.

I met his eyes with mine for the first time in a long time. Water dripped down my cheeks. I repeated, "I love you so much."

I was not searching for a reply, and I was almost too scared to see his facial expression right now. I moved up his body slightly and buried my face into his neck for more crying. I could feel his deep breathing as his body expanded. His hands ran up my sides giving me more chills. One of his hands found the back of my head, and he treaded his fingers through my hair.

"Rose," he breathed out, "My Rose." He held my head on each side with each of his hands. He drew me out of my comfort spot. My eyes met his again. My stomach quivered, and I awaited my fate.

His thumbs brushed over my cheeks despite my body promising more tears. His eyes looked a bit watery, but he gave me a smile.

"Rose," he repeated my name again, "I love you."

My head backed away slightly, flabbergasted. _Love. Love. Love._ I stared at him for a second while I gave him a chance to back away. His happy expression remained.

As his words vibrated through my thoughts, my upper body gave out and my face fell into his chest. My fingertips pressed into his warm body. A smile formed on my face as I pulled my head back up.

I closed whatever minimal distance was left between us and brought my lips to his. The Doctor kissed me back as the passion boiled over. My hands were clamped over his chest, and his were in my hair. The only thing I could feel was the softness and warmth from our mouths and hearts.

When we pulled away for air, I took the moment to emerge from the haziness in my head. I gave him one glance in the eyes. His look was full of desire. I dropped my head to his jaw and kissed him. I made a line of kissed down to the soft, beautiful skin on his neck.

His arms closed around my body, and I snuggled up close to his. He left a soft kiss on my forehead and it made me giggle. My legs were flush against his. Our bodies intertwined. We were no longer one nine-hundred-year-old time lord and one twenty-year-old human. We were two souls in love, which was all that seemed to matter.

We looked up at the stars simultaneously.

"You know," I said, "They're not that impressive to me right now."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

The Doctor put a hand under my chin and turned my face towards his. Instead of the fireworks and intensity of our last kisses, we kissed slowly and romantically. I tried to pour out every emotion I felt for him, but I knew it wasn't all possible in one kiss. Every flirtatious move, every giggle, every wonderful day of the past year had led up to this moment. I didn't think our time in this apartment would be boring ever again.

I don't know how much time went by before the Doctor and I finally told each other good night, but it sure felt like a few nights had passed by.

I was curled up against the Doctor and resting my head on his chest. My mind was running a thousand miles a second. Every thought and every emotion replayed in my mind. I was so lucky to have a man as extraordinary as the Doctor in my life. Tears filled my eyes. The tingling sensation refused to dwindle.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" The Doctor said immediately when he noticed I was crying. His care and concern made me flutter, even more in love.

"I'm just so happy," I replied, "I'm sorry I cry so much." I wiped away my tears.

"I just don't want to hurt you." The Doctor's right hand was resting on my lower back.

"It's okay, Doctor," I said and kissed him softly, "Like the TARDIS said, _we are safe._" I settled back against the Doctor and began my slow descent into sleep.

When I awoke, my mouth and chin were pressed into the Doctor's shoulder flesh. I watched his chest move up and down, and I slowly moved my head to look at him. His eyes were closed and his mouth partially open. Just as usual, his hair was sticking out. He looked adorable. I pressed a light kiss to his shoulder and rolled out of bed. I looked back to see the Doctor stirred a little, but he didn't wake.

After quietly closing the door behind me, I followed the hallway to the living room. The first thing I noticed when I entered was the silver door clicking open. I walked over and found breakfast sitting on a tray for the Doctor and me. I checked the typewriter and was surprised to find another short message.

_Finally._

I giggled out loud, slightly directed to the TARDIS. For everything that has happened in the past couple days, the TARDIS sure has been helpful. I took the chance to read over the total five messages from her.

_Something needs to happen. _I reread. An idea sprung inside of my head, but I swiftly dismissed it by shaking my head. I walked over to the main door that locked us out the TARDIS.

The door handle turned like any other door, and it opened with a small pop. I couldn't believe it; the door opened! I swung it open and poked my head out. I found the same old metallic TARDIS hallways that I had been in only two days ago. I looked back and forth between the apartment and the TARDIS. I closed the door behind me, and walked back to grab breakfast for the Doctor.

_Eh,_ I shrugged, _The universe can wait another day._

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**_A/N:_**Thank you so much for all of your support. It really makes all the time spent writing worth it. I'm considering writing another rose/ten story if people are interested. Once again, thanks for reading my story. 3


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